Features of Language by Charles Hockett

 

Show the Design Features of Language' by Charles Hockett.

Ans. The Design Features of Language was a phrase coined by the American linguist Charles Hockett Hockett believed that there existed 16 features of human language that distinguished human communication from that of animals. Charles Hockett also articulated that even the most basic human languages contained all 16 features. While the list initially contained 13 features, in a following article Hockett expanded his list with three more features, for a total of sixteen:

 

1. Mode of communication-vocal-auditory, tacticle-visual, or chemical-olfactory

2. Rapid fading - The sound made by speech diminishes quickly after being released.

3. Interchangeability The speaker has the ability to receive and also send the same message.

4. Total feedback - Individuals are able to hear and internalize a message they have sent.

5. Semanticity - Speech sounds can be linked to specific meanings.

6. Arbitrariness -There is no direct connection between the signal and its meaning.

7. Discreteness - Each unit of communication can be separated and unmistakable,

8. Specialization - Speech is produced for communication, chiefly for some other function, such as echolocation.

9. Displacement The ability to talk about things that are su physically present

10. Productivity - The ability to create new messages by combining already existing signs, 1

1. Traditional transmission - The learning of language com in social groups.

 

12. Duality of patterning - Meaningful signs (words) are made of-and distinguished from one another by meaningles parts (sounds, letters). A finite number of meaningless parts are combined to make a potentially infinite number of meaningful utterances.

13. Prevarication The ability make false statements (tolic), involves the purposeful manipulation of a given shared communication system in order to fool other members of the communicating group.

 

14. Reflexiveness - Language can be used to refer to lie, describe) itself.

 

15. Learnability - Speakers of one language can learn to speak another.

16. Blending. Blending was not considered one of the design features; however, it is a phenomenon of language.

 

It was Hockett's belief that the first nine features were aracteristics of communication held by all primates, Hockett ermined that the last seven features are what distinguish human guage from all others.